Nothing Ventured
by Medie
Summary: He prefers to choose his own people but... AU scene for The Children of The Gods written for the Replacements challenge at occhallenge a livejournal community for original characters
1. Chapter 1

Title: Nothing Ventured

Fandom: Stargate

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Feedback: blinks innocently

Disclaimer: Nina's mine. That's it.

Archive: At my site when I finally resurrect the thing.

Summary: He prefers to pick his own people but...

Author's Note: For the Replacements Challenge atinfoocchallenge. Children of The Gods AU Scene. Thanks to infoangelsgracie for reading it over first.

"Nothing Ventured"  
by M.

"There's just one thing."

The new General's words made Jack stop in his tracks and wince. Turning back, he tried to judge by the look on Hammond's face just how bad this 'one thing' was going to be. Analysis said? Doozie. Serious doozie. "Yes, Sir?" He asked warily, wanting nothing more than to forget whatever it was and just go conduct his briefing. "What thing, Sir?"

"Well, you're aware that this facility is jointly run and administered by both our government and..."

"Sir..." Jack interrupted as politely as possible despite wanting to throw his hands up and say things one did not say in front of a general in the United States Air Force. "Please, please, do not tell me what you're about to tell me."

"I'm afraid I have no choice, Colonel. The Canadian government had a quite understandable fit when they were briefed on your original mission. They couldn't do much about that one however, this time, they have given their full support - full meaning financial as well - to future missions with one caveat. An officer on the flagship team." Hammond glanced at the clock. "Major Bianco should be arriving now."

"Sir, with all due respect to this Major whoever's abilities, I prefer to pick my own team." His subordinate argued with as even tone he could manage, trying his best to hide the frustration at having someone fobbed off on him.

"I'm aware of that, Colonel, however in this particular instance, you don't have a choice. This is an order, not a suggestion. I can assure you we're getting a seasoned combat veteran who's spent the last ten years working peacekeeping missions in the UN." The General elaborated, returning to his desk to retrieve a file marked with the insignia of the Canadian Air Force which he then handed to O'Neill. "I had an opportunity earlier to take a glance at the Major's file...Impressive."

"Impressive in the sense he's been to all the right places and kissed all the right ass?" Jack questioned, leafing through it as he and Hammond emerged out into the briefing room where Kawalsky, Ferretti and the other personnel waited.

"Non." A lightly accented voice interjected from the far door. "Impressive in the sense she's been to all the worst places and still sane...well," stepping into the light, the tall brunette smiled bitterly, "that last might be somewhat disputed but..." She shrugged. "I'm not so concerned." Snapping to attention, she greeted them. "Major Nina Bianco, reporting for duty."

"Major. Welcome." General Hammond smiled politely and gestured to a seat. "Please."

"Thank you." She agreed briskly but remained standing, pointedly ignoring the amused looks that passed between Ferretti and Kawalsky. Focusing her gaze on her new commanding officer, she added, "My apologies for..." She paused and then shrugged, "being foisted on you. Political appointments..." Her mouth twisted in distaste.

"We're not complaining." Kawalsky interjected with a smug grin. "Trust me."

The Canadian woman slanted a look his way, gauging and assessing, before commenting, "You will."

General Hammond smiled faintly at the exchange then looked to O'Neill, who'd been watching his team members with bemusement. "Let's get started shall we, Colonel?"

"Thank you, Sir." He nodded and glanced down at the files before him before taking in the length of the table and the personnel sitting around it. Just like old times. Except different. "For those of you on your first trip through the Gate, you should know what to expect..."

As he'd expected, the Major didn't miss the flick of his eyes in her direction. She sat forward, folding her hands together on the table, meeting his gaze with a challenge in her own. "I did have a chance to review the information General Hammond sent ahead on my way here. From your own account, sir, I'm aware it will," she permitted a wry smile, "be quite the experience."

Kawalsky and Ferretti both snorted and Jack sent them a look which, typically, did no good.

"I think what the Colonel was trying to say," Kawalsky piped in without missing a beat, "is have you ever pulled out of a simulated bombing run in an F-16 at 8-plus Gs?"

"Non." Bianco shook her head. After a pause, wherein the two men sitting across from her shared a smug grin, she added, "I have done similar, however, in an CF-18. I imagine it will be worse than that?"

The grins on the men's faces faded, replaced by identical expressions of surprise, and Kawalsky nodded reluctantly, not wanting to cede the upper hand. "Way worse."

Not willing to go down without a fight, Ferretti put in, "By the time you get to the other side, you're frozen stiff. Just like you've been through a blizzard. Naked."

Nonplused, the Canadian woman sat back and smiled wryly again. "Which, I think, would be quite understandable after having your molecules disassembled, transmitted through a wormhole and reassembled on the other side. After reading that part," she let her smile widen slightly, some of the severity in her features lessening, "I'm surprised one doesn't promptly collapse. Must be a bitch." As soon as the words were out, she looked to the General with an expression of apology. "Sorry, Sir."

Hammond chuckled, clearly having enjoyed the exchange. "Forgiven, Major." He looked to Jack who rolled his eyes expressively.

"I thought Jackson was a pain." He muttered, sotto voce. "You three done or..."

"Quite."

"Yessir." Ferretti and Kawalsky chorused, torn between satisfaction at the Major's response and aggravation. Jack could tell at a glance that those three were gonna be trouble. Once they added Jackson to the mix...it was quite possible he'd come back very insane.

Ah well, nothing ventured...

"Well then, children, if you are," Jack sat down again. "Let's try this again, shall we?"

Finis


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Nothing Gained

Fandom: Stargate

Rating: PG

Pairing: None

Feedback: evil grin

Disclaimer: Nina's mine. That's it.

Archive: At my site when I finally resurrect the thing.

Summary: Okay, so she's not that bad...

Author's Note: For the occhallenge's Replacements Challenge and sequel to Nothing Ventured Still a Children Of The Gods Missing Scene.

"Nothing Gained"  
by M.

In the chaos of the return from Abydos, Jack easily lost track of his team members but most were just as easily located. Well, half of them were. Severely injured, Ferretti was in the infirmary for an indefinite period of time and Kawalsky, he knew, would be at his old friend's side and would remain there as long as he could. Nothing short of a nuclear blast would pull him from his friend's side now and Jack wasn't about to try. He checked in, made sure everything was kosher, and then went in search of the other two.

Daniel was somewhere within the bowels of the SGC and nothing short of wandering the halls was going to locate him. Bianco, though, she turned up easily enough. He found her ensconced at the briefing room table with the mission files of the previous mission and a steaming mug of coffee. "Do you ever stop working?"

She lifted her gaze from the file she'd been reading and smiled faintly. "Yes. Just not at the beginning of an operation. I'm behind." She gestured to the files. "Best I catch up now before we go back out." Sitting back, she hesitated before asking, "Ferretti?"

"Stable." He reported automatically. "Kawalsky's in the infirmary with him now."

Bianco nodded once, accepting the brief response as it had been intended. "I'll go by later." She offered. "Give him a chance to catch some rest."

"He won't but, y'know, good of you to offer and all." Jack shifted on his feet, leaning on the back of the chair watching her. "You did all right out there."

She flashed another one of those faint smiles which seemed to be a staple. "Thank you, Sir."

"Forgot to ask though..." He tilted his head slightly. "First trip through. Snowstorm naked or light jaunt through a spring field?"

She lowered her gaze and he thought he saw a grin threatening to emerge on her sharp features. "I have had worse. Though...if I have ever been so nauseous before...I cannot recall it."

"Yeah, Gravol'll make a killing once this place is up and in business. So...no snowstorm?" Jack watched her shake her head. "Ferretti'll be crushed. He was so hoping you'd emerge frostbitten and promptly toss your cookies. Guess he forgot the whole Canadian, raised in the great white north thing...to you that probably is a light jaunt in a spring field."

"Something like that." The Major agreed with a light nod. "So, you believe there will be more beyond the attempt to recover Doctor Jackson's wife and the others?"

"I'm sure of it." He affirmed. "Where there's one...there'll be more and I'd say we've more than royally pissed them off. By the time this is all over..."

"They'll be out for blood." Bianco frowned tightly. "Just when you think things can't get worse..." She bit off her words and got up, taking her coffee with her, going to look out at the Gate. "It's a real kick, non? We can't even take care of ourselves on a planetary scale...now we're moving up to a galactic one?" She turned to face the Colonel, who had moved to stand at her side. "The General's right. We are in way over our heads."

"Nothing new there." Jack returned calmly. "You were a peacekeeper, Major. I don't need to tell you that. We spend our careers rushing from mess to mess, pretending we can fix it when the best we can do is keep our heads above water so the folks back home think we're out saving the world for truth, justice, and Mickey D's. It's all about the illusion for them..."

"Live as though the world were as it should be." She quoted with a nod. "True enough." Bringing the mug to her lips, she took a fortifying sip of the dark liquid then swallowed carefully. A stalling tactic, meant to give them both time to think and he recognized it as well as she did. "Looks like, sir, we're about to play the world's biggest high stakes poker game."

"That we are, Major." Jack agreed. "How're your bluffing skills?"

Nina shrugged eloquently then gave him a grin. A genuine, no holds barred grin. The hardened soldier gave way to the woman beneath and summoned up an answering grin from her commanding officer as she pointed out, "I fooled Ferretti didn't I?"

"That you did, Major. That you did." He clapped her on the shoulder, careful not to disturb her coffee. Another one down and one errant chick to find. "I'm gonna head out...Get some rest, huh? You're gonna need it if we get those co-ordinates."

"Yes, Sir." She agreed crisply, the soldier once again in control. Mostly. "Sir?"

At the door, Jack looked back. "Yeah?"

"I think I saw Dr. Jackson headed toward the surface when I came down from the commissary..." Nina frowned slightly. "I don't think he was aware of where he was going. He was just..."

"Yeah...I know." He waved a hand at her. "I'll take care of him, you get some rest. Scoot." That said, Jack wandered out into the hallway in search of his errant archaeologist leaving the mystified Major Bianco behind.

Like his grandpa'd always said.. Leave 'em laughing or wondering what the hell you were talking about...

Or something like that anyway. Whatever it was. It worked and, as it turned out, looked like Bianco was going to work too. Which was good. The paperwork was messy when you killed people. Well, people the government liked anyway. But details...He had one last chick to pull into the nest and when that was done?

There was beer to be had. Lots of beer. Huh. Another reason to keep Bianco around. Guaranteed access to the good stuff and Jack always loved a silver lining.

Finis


End file.
